Cohort Profile: Taizhou Study of Liver Diseases (T-SOLID)

Extract

Why was the cohort set up?

Chronic liver disease (CLD), which includes a range of disorders, from viral hepatitis and steatotic liver disease (SLD) to liver cirrhosis and cancer (Supplementary Table 1), poses a significant and growing public health challenge worldwide, with a particularly high burden in China [1–5]. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (CHB) and SLD are the most prevalent types of CLD in the Chinese population [6, 7]. China still bears the largest global burden of CHB despite ongoing prevention efforts [8]. Our recent estimate indicated that ∼43.3 million people in China were chronically infected with HBV in 2021, with a prevalence of ∼3.0% [8]. Consequently, HBV infection remains a major public health concern in China, necessitating continuous prevention and research. Additionally, epidemiological transitions in China, driven by lifestyle changes and an aging population, have shifted the prevalence and types of CLD, leading to a rapid increase in metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) [7, 9, 10]. This shift highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of CLD in this demographic, considering the interplay of genetic predispositions, dietary habits, environmental exposures, and healthcare practices that are unique to the region.